On May 12, 2018 at approximately 2:01 p.m. officers from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to a suspicious situation which occurred on the southeast corner of Chicago Drive and Wendler Avenue. A witness observed a female walking east on the sidewalk on the south side of Chicago Drive, when a white Ford pick-up pulled onto Wendler Avenue. A male exited the truck and appeared to have a brief conversation with the female. He then grabbed the female and compelled her to get into the passenger side of the truck. The truck left southbound on Wendler Avenue. The exact nature of this exchange, the relationship between the male and female, or the circumstances that may have led up to this event are not immediately evident.
The truck is a white mid-2000’s Ford F-150 crew cab with an open bed and no topper. It had tan or beige trim starting at the bottom of the doors and running approximately one-quarter of the way up the side of the truck. The truck has “step-ups” on the sides of each door to assist in entering the vehicle. The truck had stock rims and no other distinguishable characteristics.
The female was described as a black female in her teens to early 20s, approximately five feet five inches tall, with an average build. She was wearing blue jeans, a pink shirt, and possibly a jean jacket. She had a short ponytail.
The male was described as a black male in his 20s to 30s, tall, with an average build. He had dread locks pulled back onto the top of his head and part way down the back of his neck. He was wearing a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.
If anyone has any information regarding the identity of these subjects, the whereabouts of this truck, or can clarify the nature of this exchange they are asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety’s Investigative Division at 616-530-7335 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345
UPDATE: Person of interest in the Saturday 6:50 a.m. crash was lodged at the Kent County Correctional Facility for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) second. The person injured is in the hospital with serious injuries.
It was a busy Saturday morning for the Wyoming Department of Public Safety with a robbery and serious car crash taking place in the early morning hours.
At around 2 a.m. this morning, the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to the report of a robbery of a person in the area of 36th Street and Raven SW. Two suspects threatened the victim with a knife and took an undisclosed amount of cash and other personal belongings. K9 Azar and his handler began tracking the suspect while other officers established a perimeter. K9 Azar was able to flush the suspect out of several backyards and officers subsequently took the suspect into custody. He is lodged at the Kent County Correctional Facility.
The remaining suspect is still at large and is described as a tall, skinny black male, approximately 20 years of age. it is believed that the suspects and the victim may be known to each other.
Anyone with information that may lead to the identification of the suspect is asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
At 6:50 a.m., the Wyoming Department of Public Safety was called to Chicago Drive and Wendell Avenue SW on the report of a serious crash involving two vehicles. It appears that an east bound vehicles crossed the center line and struck a west bound vehicle head on. The west bound vehicle was driven by Polita Saavedraleon, 24, from Grand Rapids. She was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the east bound vehicle is a 28-year-old male from Kentwood.
Officials stated that the name of the east bound driver will not be released as crash investigators are attempting to learn more details of the crash and whether alcohol and speed are a factor in the crash.
Wyoming Public Safety personal continue their investigations into both the crash and the robbery. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wyoming Department of Public Safety at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.
Rieth-Riley officials and employees along with City of Wyoming officials and business owners gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony at Rieth-Riley.
How do you celebrate your 100th anniversary? How about with a ribbon cutting, cupcakes and a tour of your recently opened facility?
That is what Rieth-Riley Construction, Inc. did today, May 5, exactly 100 years ago to the day when Indiana civil engineer and surveyor Albert Rieth started the asphalt and concrete paving company.
“We have found the City of Wyoming to be amazing,” said Chad Loney, Rieth-Riley’s regional vice president for Michigan. “The city has been very generous and is very pro-business. They have bent over backwards to help us accomplish this goal.”
Formerly based in Ada, the company bought five Aggregate Industries locations in 2009 including the one at 2100 Chicago Dr. SW. When the economy slowed, Rieth-Riley shut the facility down but a couple of years ago, decided to move its regional operations out of Ada to the Wyoming location.
“We are happy to have them come back to Wyoming,” said Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll, adding that Reith-Riley is a great fit to the industrial area located along Wyoming’s Chicago Drive corridor.
“We have about 13 acres here,” said Rieth-Riley Area Director Kirk Breukink. Breukink said the company has actually been on the Wyoming site since November 2014, redesigning the location to make it more efficient including tearing down an existing building and constructing a new facility. Those who attended the open house and ribbon cutting on Thursday were able to tour the site along with viewing a 10-minute video on the history of the company.
Rieth-Riley Area Manager Kirk Breukink accepts a plaque from
Started in 1916 by Rieth, the company’s focus is road construction and through its history has remained true to that providing highway construction, asphalt and concrete paving, site preparation and excavation, bridge construction, underground utilities and drainage construction, asphalt and concrete recycling, curb and sidewalk construction, mining and aggregate processing, and sand, gravel and other aggregates for construction projects.
Rieth’s first project was a county road in Elkhardt County, Indiana, his home state and where he founded the company. The project was $25,000 and later became known as Country Road 32. In 1918, George A. Riley became Rieth’s partner, hence the company’s name Rieth-Riley.
In the 1920s, the company expanded into Michigan with its first contract to lay paving on the Michigan State Trunk Line No. 11 near Sawyer in Berrien County. From there, the company grew with today there being 14 plants in the state. The Wyoming location serves as the regional office for the state and oversees operations at the Wyoming and Zeeland facilities. Breukink said the company has worked on about every major highway in the state of Michigan including 1-96, US-131, US-31 through Holland, M-6, and the M-231 bypass around Grand Haven, which helped the company earn a Michigan Asphalt Pavement Award and a National Asphalt Pavement Award.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of Rieth-Riley is that it is 100-percent employee owned. With the deaths of the owners, Rieth’s sons Blair, Lee, and William, it triggered the company to move toward the establishment of the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1986. Fifty percent of the company was sold to the employees at that time. In 1992, the employees bought the other 50 percent making it a fully employee-owned company.
“It was quite cutting edge to do that,” Loney said, adding Rieth-Riley was one of the first companies become employee owned. It also was a risk but one that appears to have done well for the business. Talking to employees, it is easy to find people who have been with the company 17, 23, 30 and more years.
Breukink said the company is in full swing for the construction season and is already working on various road construction contracts.
Approximately 80 people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration at the site. It was a mixture of employees, city officials, and local business owners.
On May 12, 2018 at approximately 2:01 p.m. officers from the Wyoming Department of Public Safety responded to a suspicious situation which occurred on the southeast corner of Chicago Drive and Wendler Avenue. A witness observed a female walking east on the sidewalk on the south side of Chicago Drive, when a white Ford pick-up pulled onto Wendler Avenue. A male exited the truck and appeared to have a brief conversation with the female. He then grabbed the female and compelled her to get into the passenger side of the truck. The truck left southbound on Wendler Avenue. The exact nature of this exchange, the relationship between the male and female, or the circumstances that may have led up to this event are not immediately evident.
